66% of income of 7 national parties in 2021-22 came from electoral bonds: ADR
New Delhi (PTI): More than 66 per cent of the total income of seven national parties in 2021-22 came from "unknown sources" like electoral bonds, which accounted for a whopping 83 per cent, according to the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).
The seven parties -- BJP, Congress, TMC, NCP, CPI, CPI(M) and the National People's Party -- collected Rs 2,172 crore from unknown sources in 2021-22, the NGO working for electoral reforms said, citing official data.
The income from unknown sources was 66.04 per cent of their total income. And, Rs 1,811.94 crore or 83.41 per cent of the income from unknown sources came through electoral bonds, it said.
The "unknown" sources are income declared in the annual audit report by these parties but without giving the source of income, according to the ADR.
At present, political parties are not required to reveal the name of individuals or organisations giving less than Rs 20,000 and those who donated via electoral bonds.
The ADR stated such unknown sources include donations via electoral bonds, sale of coupons, relief fund, miscellaneous income, voluntary contributions, and contribution from meetings/morchas.
During the financial year 2021-22, the BJP declared Rs 1,161 crore as income from unknown sources which is 53.45 per cent of the total income of national parties from unknown sources, it said.
"This income of BJP is Rs 149.86 crore more than the aggregate of income from unknown sources declared by the other six national parties (Rs 1,011.18 crore)," the ADR said.
The TMC declared Rs 528 crore as income from unknown sources which is 24.31 per cent of the total income of national parties from unknown sources.
Between 2004-05 and 2021-22, the national parties collected Rs 17,249.45 crore from unknown sources, it said.
The combined income of the Congress and NCP from sale of coupons between 2004-05 and 2021-22 stands at Rs 4,398.51 crore, the ADR said.
"It is to be noted that TMC's total donations as per the audit report are worth Rs 38 lakh (excluding donations via electoral bonds) but the party has declared donations worth Rs 43 lakh in the donations statement (details of donations above Rs 20,000). Hence, there is a discrepancy in the party's statement for FY 2021-22," the ADR said.
The CPI has declared donations through levy, membership fee, party funds and election funds.
The organisation said that for this analysis, eight national parties were considered but the BSP declared that it did not receive any funds from voluntary contributions from unknown sources of income.
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Cong cites Kangana's purported remarks to accuse BJP of wanting to bring back repealed farm laws
New Delhi, Sep 24: The Congress on Tuesday cited BJP MP Kangana Ranaut's purported remarks on farm laws to allege that the ruling party was making efforts to bring back the three laws that were repealed in 2021, and asserted that Haryana will give a befitting reply to it.
The Congress shared on X an undated video of Ranaut in which she is purportedly saying in Hindi, "Farm laws that have been repealed should be brought back. I think this may get controversial. The laws in farmers' interest be brought back. Farmers should themselves demand this (to bring farm laws back) so that there is no hindrance to their prosperity.
"Farmers are a pillar of strength in India's progress. Only in some states, they had objected to farm laws. I appeal with folded hands that farm laws should be brought back in the interest of farmers."
In a post in Hindi along with the video, the Congress said, "The three black laws imposed on farmers should be brought back: BJP MP Kangana Ranaut has said this. More than 750 farmers of the country were martyred, only then did the Modi government wake up and these black laws were withdrawn."
Now BJP MPs are planning to bring back these laws, the Congress alleged.
"The Congress is with the farmers. These black laws will never return, no matter how hard Narendra Modi and his MPs try," the opposition party said on X.
Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate also shared the video of Ranaut on X and said, "'All three farm laws should be brought back': BJP MP Kangana Ranaut. More than 750 farmers were martyred while protesting against the three black farmer laws. Efforts are being made to bring them back."
"We will never let that happen. Haryana will answer first," she said in an apparent reference to the assembly polls in Haryana.
Congress' media and publicity department head Pawan Khera also shared the video on X and said it was the BJP's "real thinking".
"How many times will you deceive the farmers, you two-faced people?" Khera said in a post in Hindi.
The three laws -- Farmer's Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act; The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act; and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act -- were repealed in November 2021.
The farmers' protest started at the fag-end of November 2020 and ended after Parliament repealed the three laws. The legislations came into force in June 2020 and were repealed in November 2021.
“तीनों किसान क़ानून वापस लाये जाने चाहिए” : BJP MP कंगना रनौत
— Supriya Shrinate (@SupriyaShrinate) September 24, 2024
जिन तीन काले किसान विरोधी क़ानूनों की मुख़ालिफ़त करते 750 से ज़्यादा किसान शहीद हो गए
उनको दोबारा से लाने की कोशिश की जा रही है. हम ऐसा कभी नहीं होने देंगे
सबसे पहला जवाब हरियाणा देगा pic.twitter.com/kRAkRuE2cc
